Meeting on plan to axe free hearing aids in Staffordshire
A public meeting will be held next week over controversial plans to stop providing hearing aids to people in parts of Staffordshire.
People will get the chance to speak out against the plans during the meeting at Stafford's County Hall on Wednesday at 10am.
Campaigners Action on Hearing Loss will confront bosses at the area's clinical commissioning groups, including chief executive Andy Donald.
Mr Donald said: "We are all absolutely committed to going out to our patients and local populations to discuss this policy, and we will ensure plans to do that are well-publicised, well ahead of time."
The plan will affect 15 per cent of people with hearing problems in Stafford, Stone, Cannock, Hednesford and Rugeley and other parts of central and south Staffordshire.
Experts from the British Society of Audiology and support group DEADvibe will speak.
A public consultation over the proposals has been put on hold until the outcome of the meeting.
Mr Donald said: "For now, it is appropriate to pause the process in order to provide locally elected councillors with the information they have requested to support them in scrutinising any proposals we make."
